Safety:
Some wild animals can be very dangerous, do not put yourself in danger, call
Tiggywinkles for assistance:

01844 292292

Never put yourself or others in danger

Animal
law:Most wild animal collisions
are accidental and unavoidable and are seen as
such by animal protection legislation. Any wild
animal that is injured can be legally picked up
and taken into care with the intention of releasing
it once it has recovered.Approach:Every
wild animal has an inbuilt "flee" instinct
triggered at various distances to your approach.
An injured
animal that is still mobile will attempt to
flee and may further endanger itself.

How to deal with them effectively
More and more injured wild animals are being cared for at Wildlife Rescue Centres every year. However, it is very important to know when a wild animal is in need of assistance and when it should be left alone.

This section will help you make this decision and will also give you some important tips on the handling and transportation of injured wildlife.

General information

General tips on
wildlife rescue

Prognosis:
Wild animals have the most remarkable powers of recovery so none should be 'put out of its misery' until a veterinary surgeon, experienced with wildlife, has had the opportunity to assess its injuries and make a diagnosis - usually at a wildlife hospital or rescue centre.

In fact, ALL wildlife casualities should be taken
to or, if it is a large animal (i.e. deer, badger,
fox or swan), collected by a wildlife rescue group.
There is an established network of over 200 rescue
centres nation-wide .

Yours will be found on the internet via websites
such as 192.com or yell.com or in the yellow pages under 'animal welfare'

Before embarking on any would-be rescue of a road casualty every precaution should be taken to ensure the safety of yourself and other road users and to obey the laws of the road. In particular, children should not be allowed onto the highway and should be instructed to refer any injured animal to a parent. The most important point is SEE AND BE SEEN by other road users and remember they too may see the animal and swerve to avoid it.

Take the following precautions:
1. If near a road, try to approach from the direction of the carriageway so if the animal flees it will head for the safety of the roadside not the carriageway.

2. Bend your knees and make your frame appear as small as possible.

3. Approach very slowly, stopping occasionally to assess the animal's reaction. You will be able to judge when it steels itself to flee.

4. Talk to it quietly - this will not relax it but prevents your approach being a surprise that might spark the 'flee' response.

5. If a rescue centre is called, please wait with the animal or at the site until the rescue team arrives. This applies even if the animal dies.

6. If the animal does flee from the area, note where it has gone so that any rescue teams can try to follow it.